“I just love creating these really hyper-specific titles where, after reading these few words, you really have an understanding of the context of the playlist itself…It’s crazy how being that specific makes people so compelled to actually listen because it feels relatable.” — Kasey Gelsomino, Kasey’s Playlist

You don’t have to press play to know what you’re going to get on a playlist called “Oat Milk Lattes in the Mountains.” It’s pretty clear from just the name that this playlist is serving up indie folk, cozy comfort, and granola vibes. It also has a huge following on Spotify. 

The mastermind behind this hyper-specific, contextual curation is Kasey Gelsomino. A record executive at Nettwerk in her 9-5, Kasey lives and breathes music in all hours of the day. You can see her personal tastes and curation style via her “Kasey’s Playlist” TikTok and Spotify channel, both of which have formidable followings. 

How does a music curator think about making the perfect playlist? How does one grow on Spotify and TikTok? And what do curators need to know to be successful on these platforms?

Other highlights, inspiration and key learnings from the conversation:

• How songs get featured on Kasey’s Playlist
• The ingredients of a great playlist
• The art of hyper-specific playlist naming
• Deconstructing her TikTok and Spotify success
• Qualities of the best music curators

The companion Storyboard also has the episode, plus everything Kasey recommended in the show.

You can find “The Art of Curation” podcast on Flipboard as well as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and anywhere else you might listen to podcasts. Please subscribe so you never miss an episode, and don’t forget to rate, review and share, especially if you like what you hear. We’ll have a new episode coming out each Tuesday until mid-September.

— Mia Quagliarello, head of creator community, is curating the curators for The Art of Curation